Hitachi has formed the Hitachi Insight Group, headquartered in Santa Clara, to run its global IoT business based around its new IoT platform Lumada. The group will handle research and development and go to market strategies in four market segments: smart city, smart energy, smart healthcare and smart industry.
Hitachi says it will have more than 16,000 employees focused on IoT in the Insight Group and in various divisions across Hitachi and its group companies, including Hitachi Data Systems and Hitachi Consulting, that will collaborate to accelerate delivery of solutions.
Hitachi claims to have generated $US5.4 billion in IoT revenues in 2015 and to have one of the broadest IoT portfolios in the industry with 33 IoT solutions in-market today. The company says that, by uniting its digital and IoT solutions and services businesses, it is positioning itself to lead in this fast-growing market.
Hitachi says its IoT portfolio includes solutions and services for public safety and smart cities, renewable and sustainable energy, intelligent transportation, precision agriculture and manufacturing, water treatment and urban development, construction, mining and more.
Lumada has been introduced to enhance this portfolio and support the development of new solutions and services. According too Hitachi, “Lumada’s open, adaptable software architecture is designed to accelerate the development of IoT solutions, while providing flexible support for customisation and co-creation with Hitachi’s customers and partners. The platform was announced in a separate statement issued today.” Its launch co-incides with that of a new IoT platform by Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
Hitachi Insight Group’s CEO for Asia Pacific will be Ichiro Iino and the company says it plans to establish regional operations for Hitachi Insight Group in APAC later this year.
Hitachi has also established global Centres for Social Innovation in multiple geographies staffed by cross-disciplinary researchers, data scientists and solution architects. It says these will work closely with customers on solution development to solve unique challenges, ultimately verified through a proof-of-concept process and with Hitachi Insight Group “to apply the Hitachi’s market-in strategy and solve real world challenges in areas such as energy & natural resources, transportation, telecommunications, and healthcare.
